More than 200 airmen with Alabama Guard unit due home this week from Iraq

About 230 members of Alabama Air National Guard unit which deployed to Iraq in July are due home this week.

The members of the 187th Fighter Wing were based in Balad, Iraq and unit pilots flew combat missions in support of U.S. and other coalition forces. Backed by maintenance, support and operations personnel, the pilots flew F-16 fighter jets around the clock and tallied more than 2,500 hours in the air.

Members of the Montgomery-based 187th are headed home in groups. The first group, which will consist of pilots with 12 F-16 aircraft, is scheduled to arrive at Montgomery Regional Airport at 1 p.m. Tuesday. About 40 more unit members are to arrive at 7:30 p.m.

About 140 more airmen are due in Wednesday afternoon and the final group is due in shortly after noon on Friday.